My Journey with Pulmonary Fibrosis

For three weeks now I have been fighting an infection.  It started with scratchy throat, a little sinus symptoms so finally went to the doctor.  He wrote a prescription for an antibiotic for me to have on hand, when and if more symptoms showed themselves.  Two days later I had it filled because I was still running fever.  It was for a Z pack.  I finished it up in the five days and still had the same problems, only a little worse.  Last friday I called and talked to the doc, told him I thought it was URI because I was starting to cough a little more and we decided to try another antibiotic....I was sure I would feel better in two to three days on Levaquin.  I hate that antibiotic, by the way, it causes nausea, so I take it at bedtime to sleep through the side effects.  Ha...that is almost funny as I don't sleep that much anymore despite all the meds I take at night to help me sleep :(

Here we are seven days later, went in to see the doctor because the cough is so much worse and only have three more antibiotics to take.  I was afraid that tomorrow, being the weekend, I might get caught with more symptoms and I wanted to be sure I didn't have bronchitis or pneumonia.  He listened to my chest and other than the reduced air flow that I always have he only heard the crackles that Pulmonary Fibrosis cause....no congestion at all, despite all the phlegm and coughing I am doing.

He wrote up blood work orders, Cat Scan orders and a variety of other testing.  His thoughts are that it is either pneumonia, hiding under some of the hardened tissue that he can't hear through or my Pulm. Fibrosis has taken another dive and has progressed further.  I don't really know how much more it can progress, but I guess as long as I am breathing, it can always harder.  I am just so tired of the coughing and ready for it to be GONE....soooo....short of my little complaint about it, there isn't much I can do but rest, cough, and be merry:)

Tomorrow will be better.....

Happy Fathers Day to those of you have children...aren't they a blessing!  Then they just produce further wonderful blessings in their children :)

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• #2 Comment from am4039 
  6/16/07 3:40 PM | Permalink

  Oh so sorry you are so sick, I hope they figure it out and get you on the right meds.
  
  http://journals.aol.com/am4039/life/
• #1 Comment from pharmolo 
  6/16/07 11:45 AM | Permalink

  Hi Jan,
  I'm sorry that you're afflicted with a cough now, and that the antibiotics don't seem to be touching it. Wait and see what the tests say, hope it is favourable and that the cough packs itself off soon.
  
  Guido